Red Canyon

Red Canyon, 10x10, road price, $110

I AM ON MY WAY HOME, with hesitations. A big snow and sleet storm was heading into Colorado as I was also heading into Colorado, and I thought that I could outrun it. So I skipped Canyonlands and Arches national parks, and headed east. 

Sadly, I didn't outrun the storm, and ended up spending Sunday in Limon, Colorado, waiting for the sleet, snow and 40-mph wind to end.                                                                        Even though I didn't beat the storm, I'm thankful that I left when I did. Interstate 70 from Utah to Denver is a scary road, climbing to over 10,000 feet, a couple times, passing Vail and Breckenridge and Copper Mountain, and feeling entirely too high for my comfort.                                                                            There was a time when I loved mountains, and snow and winter and cold, and now I am finding that I just don't. 

As a younger person, I skied, and loved it. Peter and I drove the mountains in Idaho, and lived in Maine, and skied in both places - and pretty much loved all of it, though that feeling was waning, during the final years of Maine. 

Now, I find I feel hemmed in by mountains, uneasier as the elevation rises, and unhappy when the wind is blowing bitter snow and ice at me. Maybe this is just me getting old, or maybe it's me getting wimpy, or maybe it's me turning into a Virginian. Whatever it is, I was glad to be out of the mountains and into the rolling wheat fields of eastern Colorado. 

And I am happy to be heading home. Canyonlands and Arches will be there in the future. 

This has been a great painting trip, and I'm delighted with my pieces. The paintings from the trip are all up on the Utah Painting Trip page of the Jacobson Arts website. 

Email me (carrieBjacobson@gmail.com) if you'd like to buy one! The prices will go up when I get home. 

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Carl's Critter Garden

THE CRITTER GARDEN is in Hanksville, Colorado, one of those towns that leaves me wondering.  The population was 219 in the most recent census, and it is empty miles from anywhere. Where do they get their groceries? Do their banking? Buy nails and shoes and radios? 

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Dog of the Day

I met this beauty while I was painting in Escalante, Utah. 

His mom, Jo Anne Lavender, is a wonderful artist, and we had a great time talking art and dogs and beautiful landscapes. You can see her work at her website, joannelavender.com

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A Final Thought

"Art is about paying attention." 

- Laurie Anderson